Lab Codes

ILAR maintains the International Laboratory Code Registry. A laboratory code (also “laboratory registry code” or “lab code”) contains one to five letters and identifies the institute, laboratory, or investigator that produced and/or maintains a particular animal strain. A lab code is generated when a new model is created and becomes part of that model's nomenclature. Substrains, congenics, and other strains where several otherwise distinguishable forms exist should also be identified by laboratory codes. DNA loci, chromosomal aberrations, and some types of mutations may have lab codes.